A study of the relation between health attitudes, values and beliefs and help-seeking behaviour with special reference to a representative sample of black patients attending a general hospital.
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Date
1993
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Abstract
There is strong evidence supporting the view that beliefs and attitudes influence health
behaviour. Furthermore, cultural and social beliefs also have been shown to influence the
way health care facilities are used. Although western medicine plays a dominant role in the
mass control of disease, traditional or folk medicine continues to play an important role in
the health care of black communities. They therefore, possess unique attitudes, values and
beliefs about health and illness which integrally influence their health behaviour.
This study aims therefore to: understand phenomenologically the urban African’s
perception of illness, disease and health; identify attitudes that directly influence health
behaviour: identify “trigger factors” that precipitate health action and isolate factors that contribute to “negative” health behaviour.
The sample in this study consisted of 3 groups of urban Africans who were 20 years and older. Group 1 comprised first time attenders to a medical outpatients department Group 2 and Group 3 were sample groups drawn from the Umlazi Township and the Kwa Mashu Township respectively. The Health and Illness Battery in the language of the participants
were administered by trained interviewers.
This study has demonstrated the following: urban Africans have a personal conception of
illness, health and disease that influences their manner of help‐seeking; there are certain
attitudes and beliefs that directly influence both positive and negative health behaviour;.
there are several health beliefs which interact in a complex way and may lead to medical
help‐seeking. Health action was found to be influenced by significant individuals in the
subject's environment; demographic variables, such as, age, sex, education and urbanisation
strongly influence the health and illness beliefs; these results validated some of the fundamental aspects of the common western health and illness models; the use of services
and facilities are determined by the location, accessibility and the quality of services;
financial costs, time, transport, lack of community supports, negatively affected helpseeking; symptoms have been identified as a “trigger factor” of help‐seeking. Individuals use other forms of treatments independent of medical treatments. A model of help‐seeking for urban Africans is proposed.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, 1993.
Keywords
Health attitudes., Health behaviour--South Africa., Medicine and psychology., Health--Psychological aspects., Blacks--Health and hygiene., Theses--Psychiatry.